TAXI DRIVERS WILL BE TRAINED TO HELP THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Police have urged taxi drivers and hotel and bar owners to learn how to spot the signs of the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young people.

Leicestershire Police believes people in those industries may unwittingly be coming into contact with children who are being sexually abused.

The force has produced training packs tailored for workers in each industry.

Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs, who leads the child sexual exploitation (CSE) unit, said: “People who work in these industries are in a unique position to spot the signs of CSE and they have a duty to notice when all may not be right and to pass their concerns on to the police – potentially saving a child from this horrendous crime.

“Exploited children are often terrified and usually too scared to raise the alarm and ask for help.

“Taxi drivers, for example, need to notice when all may not be right with passengers in their vehicle, hotel reception staff need to look out for unusual bookings, and bar staff need to be alert to a number of indicators and raise the alarm if necessary.

“CSE is often hidden from view and going unnoticed.

“We need our licensed drivers and licensed premises, who are in a unique position to act as our eyes and ears, to spot activity or predatory behaviour that may be linked to child sexual exploitation and let us know so we can act quickly to safeguard victims and bring their abusers to justice.”

The child sexual exploitation, (CSE), unit is based in Wigston and is staffed by specialists from Leicestershire Police and other organisations such as the area’s local authorities.

Leicestershire’s police and crime commissioner, Lord Willy Bach, said: “We have a duty to ensure frontline service industries are armed with the right information and are supported by police and local authority professionals.

“We must all work together to protect our children and raising awareness of CSE is crucial so that everybody across the county can spot the signs and speak out to stop it.

“These training materials will help us work together to inform, educate and prevent children from being sexually abused and it will soon be a mandatory requirement to undertake the CSE module as part of gaining a new taxi licence.

“Many businesses we talk to are fully supportive of the initiative and happy to join in the fight against child sexual exploitation.”